FAMILY

Domaine des Alicourts, Loire, France

Located in Pierrefitte-sur-Sauldre, in a quiet area of the eastern Loire, this site has its own lake for fishing and swimming, with pedalos and canoes for hire. There is a wave machine and loads of water slides in the aquapark, as well as spray machines and mushroom showers. Then there's the huge playground, a covered play area for wet days, and Baby Paradise for tiny people. Further distractions include mini go-karts, a crazy golf course, an excellent football pitch, a roller skate park, an archery range and a video game arcade. Parents, meanwhile, can relax at the new Senso Balnéo spa complex. Campers can choose from a number of good flat pitches, but there are also two- or three-bedroom chalets.• Open from late-April-early-September; from €9 adults, €6 children; +33 2 5488 6334, lesalicourts.com

Camping Son Bou, Menorca, Spain

There is conventional camping and a number of Bengali-style plastic bungalow tents at this popular family hang-out. The lovely Son Bou beach, one of Menorca's finest, is nearby. Families can cycle, canoe, surf or water-ski, or stick around the site and get competitive over a football, basketball or volleyball game. There is a great play park, a children's theme park (a small city made of Wendy houses), a large swimming pool, and loads of green space. A couple of water parks are within range for day trips, too.• Open May-September; from €6.40 adults, €4.75 children. Extra charges apply depending on tent size; +34 9 7137 2727, campingsonbou.com

First Camp, various locations, Sweden

First Camp operates eight family resorts across Sweden, from Lulea in the north-east to the west-coast beach hot spot of Tylosand and the Skane region in the south-west. There's plenty of fun to be had for nippers and teens alike. Each site features a free kid's club, run by mascot Blix the alien, who hosts treasure hunts, mini-discos and movie nights. Older children get their own film nights, or can take part in karaoke contests and live music events. There's also the Glass-Campen, or ice-cream eating competition, where children on each First Camp site form a scoffing coalition, and have 15 minutes to see whether they can out-eat kids on the other sites.• Seasons and costs vary. High season prices typically €30 per pitch per night

ACTIVITY

Camping le Ty Nadan, Brittany, France

This site is on a huge estate in the heart of the Breton countryside, with canoeing and kayaking available on the river Ellé, rock climbing for anyone over the age of seven, quad biking, paintballing and horse-riding in the woods. It also has an indoor pool with water slides and an aqua gym, and its acrobatic adventure park boasts Brittany's longest zip-wire. Evening entertainment includes Breton evenings, concerts, karaoke and discos. There are grassy pitches and a range of mobile homes and chalets for hire.• Open March-September; from €20.80 for two in low season; +33 2 9871 7547, camping-ty-nadan.fr

Les Tipis Le Bonheur de Vivre, Le Mans, France

Staying here is like taking a ride in a time machine into the history of the Native American world, or at least our take on it. In the rolling fields of the Sarthe area, about 30 minutes' drive from Le Mans in northern France, you will find 16 tipis on the banks of the Vègre river in what could easily be mistaken for a North American prairie. Communal evening meals are followed by North American-style to the dancing, singing, the storytelling and the tomahawk-throwing. And if you come on one of the special Amerindian discovery weekends, you'll be asked to surrender your mobile phone and your watch as soon as you arrive. • Open May-October; from €67pp per night, or €169pp for a discovery weekend (all-inclusive); +33 2 4395 5754, lebonheurdevivre.net

L'Etoile d'Argens, St Aygulf, southern France

There's a free shuttle boat waiting at the private quay on the river by L'Etoile d'Argens to take you 3km and drop you on to a stunning Mediterranean beach. But if you fancy staying at the resort, there are loads of organised sports activities (from basketball to badminton, boules and crazy golf), a children's club and music evenings with cabarets, visiting bands and discos. There is also a heated aqua complex surrounded by palm trees, a free tennis school in July and August and a brilliant children's play area.

• Open April-September; from €14 for two

Château de Monfreville, Normandy, France

Chateau de Monfreville, France.

There are two gorgeous lakeside gypsy caravans (roulottes) and plenty of space for ordinary camping pitches in the grounds of the Château de Monfreville, which overlooks the Cotin & Bessin national park. Historians will have plenty to take in here, given the site's proximity to Bayeux and its early medieval tapestry and the famous Omaha and Utah D-Day beaches. There are cycling and walking paths nearby, and a swimming pond and hot tub to relax in after a day of hiking or visiting the Normandy landing sites. • Open May-September; €15 per pitch per night or €350 a week to rent a roulotte which sleep up to four; no telephone, chateaumonfreville.com

Thorwaldblick, Saxony, Germany

Thorwaldblick is a rock-climbing hub on Germany's eastern border, and visitors can get guided climbing or hiking tours from park rangers. It is tucked between the Lusatian and Ore mountain ranges in the Sächsische Schweiz national park, although it's very close to the Sumava national park over the border in the Czech republic, too. It's a tiny site, and campers choose their pitch in a garden surrounded by fruit trees. Aside from climbing, hiking, cycling or canoeing in the area, visitors can swim in a natural lake in the village, take a boat ride through the Kirnitzschtal Klamm gorge, or head further afield to the Königstein fortress or the Bastei bridge. It's not too far to the museums and baroque architecture of Dresden, and it's just two hours' drive to Prague. • Open all year; from €11 a night for two; +49 35 9745 0648, thorwaldblick.de

Kamp Koren, Soca valley, Slovenia In the stunning setting of the Julian Alps, this site has a

main camping area in a wooded clearing, and a network of private camping spots connected by walkways and rickety bridges. There is also an eight-metre-high climbing wall and a volleyball pitch, but the owner will also happily set up trips for you, from paragliding and rock climbing to rafting, canyoning and caving. If you want to go it alone, there's a half-hour walk from the site up to the Kozjak waterfall, or you can hike up nearby peaks or mountain bike through the forest. History nerds can also follow a five-hour walking trail that takes in centuries of history, fom Roman archaelogical sites to first world war trenches. Koren's in prime Slovenian wine territory, so you could just kick back and test out some reds with a kebab that a local takeaway has delivered straight to your tent. • Open all year; from €9.50pp per night; +38 6 5389 1311, kamp-koren.si

COASTAL

Le Brasilia, Canet-en-Rousillon, France

The quality of everything on this site, and its location in a pine grove right on a beautiful stretch of sandy Mediterranean beach, make it one of the best in France. It is a large site but family-run. A new aqua complex opened in April, although the beach is just a short stroll away. There is an entertainment programme, including a kids' club in a circus top and Club Brazil for teenagers, and well-spread-out pitches. If you fancy a major expedition, drive along the coast and over the border to Barcelona.• Open April-September; from €19 for two; +33 4 6880 2382, brasilia.fr

Crete Alfresco, Crete, Greece

Crete Alfresco has a selection of luxury pre-erected tents on its secluded site right on the spectacular bay of Kissamos in the far north-west of the island. You can walk along the nine-mile beach and not bump into a soul, even in high season, or head into the fishing village of Kastelli. There's plenty of space around each tent, and each plot sits in the shade of an olive tree with its own barbecue. For a little more adventure, take a boat trip to the desert island of Gramvousa or go paragliding in Agia Marina, a few miles to the east.• Open May-September; from €15pp; +30 69 7676 3654, crete-alfresco.com

Tartaruga, Zante, Greece

Zakynthos, Zante. Photograph: Getty Images

Overlooking the Ionian sea, Tartaruga has one of the best views in Greece. Campers can venture to the capital, Zakynthos, for dolphin tours, snorkelling excursions and endless stretch of beach. Take a trip to Navagio beach, a perfect white crescent with a shipwreck. One of the biggest tourist draws is Turtle island, which is not only shaped like a turtle but surrounded by them. The turtles come to the campsite, too, and there are two jetties and a floating platform just off shore, where you can sit quietly and wait for them to appear.• Open April-October; from €11.40 for a tent and two adults; +30 26 9505 1927, tartaruga-camping.com

Riva Di Ugento, Lecce, Italy

Set within 79 acres of pine forest, facing the northernmost edge of the Ionian sea, Riva di Ugento is a camping village with about 1,000 pitches. You can also rent a caravan or mobile home – they are in secluded spots and clad in wood to make them more pleasing to the eye. The activities and services on offer are almost as numerous as the pitches – there's a supermarket, a newsagent, a swimming pool, a kids' playground and a tennis court. You can rent bikes, kayaks and catamarans, visit nearby Lecce, or just slob out on the white sand beach. • Open May-September; from €19 a day for a pitch for people, and €5 a day per extra person; from €35 a day for a three-person caravan, and from €70 a day for a four-person mobile home; +39 08 3393 3600, rivadiugento.it

REMOTE

Camping Le Frêne, Les Gets, France

The panorama from this 32-pitch site set 1,300m high in the heart of the Alps is quite stunning. On a clear day you will be rewarded with a view of Mont Blanc. The site is 2km up a steep road from the ski resort of Les Gets, and is suitable only for small motor homes and tents. It is a haven for nature lovers and mountain bikers – with numerous marked trails in the surrounding mountains and forests.• Open June-September; €17 a night for two people; + 33 4 5075 8060, alpensport-hotel.com

Berlenga Grande, Portugal

This campsite on an island off the Atlantic coast of Portugal offers a trip back in time, to the rough, seafaring days of Vasco da Gama. Berlenga Grande, the main island in the Berlengas archipelago, is now a nature reserve. You get there by boat from Peniche on the mainland. There's only one a day. For accommodation you can choose between pitching a tent on one of the sandy terraces cut into the hillside, or sleep in a dorm bed at the Fort of St John the Baptist or a room at the Pavilhão Mar e Sol. Camping here is the real thing – cold sea-water showers, fierce southerly winds and limited fresh water (make sure you collect your daily allowance at the bar between 8-11am). • Open June-mid-September; pitches from €9.25, dorm beds from €18, rooms at Pavilhão from €100; +35 12 6278 9571, ilhadasberlengas.no.sapo.pt

Petit Praz, Valais, Switzerland

This is the highest campsite in Switzerland, at 1,970m – the perfect destination for intrepid climbers, trekkers and lovers of all things Alpine. There are 80 pitches, with communal washrooms, hot showers and an on-site grocery. You can go on organised two-hour walks through the forests of Arolles or hike to the surrounding peaks, some of which are more than 4,000m high. • Open June-September; adults from £4.20, plus £3.50 per tent; +41 02 7283 2295, camping-arolla.com

Camping Antiparos, Cyclades, Greece

Antiparos is a small island in the Cyclades where you'll find this campsite etched into the sand. With 200 pitches and a few bamboo huts available to rent, there's plenty of room for you to spread out in the reed fields or under the cedar trees. There are beaches (some of them naturist), bays and coves to explore, nightly open-air film screening, sea-kayaking and boat rides. The campsite's own restaurant offers local cuisine. Getting to the island, on a ferry from Athens or the larger island of Paros, which has an airport, is well worth the effort.• Open May-September; adults from €4, €2 per tent, €3 per bamboo hut; +30 22 8406 1221, camping-antiparos.gr

CITIES

Huttopia, Paris, France

Away from the capital's busy streets, in quiet woodland near the palace of Versailles, lies this collection of cute canvas and wood cabins. Here guests soak up the sun on wooden verandas, look out for wildlife in the forest and relax in the heated pool and then when they're sufficiently chilled out, take the RER train from nearby Porchefontaine station into the city, to be at the foot of the Eiffel Tower within 30 minutes. There are stylish shower rooms, bivouacs to cook under and 180 pitches for people who bring their own tents.• Open 20 March-6 November; pitches from €25.20 per night, huts from €62 a night (sleeps five); +33 1 3951 2361, huttopia.com

Virgen del Mar, Santander, Spain

A beach near Santander. Photograph: Alamy

Get the best of both worlds at the Virgen del Mar campsite, situated close to a beach, with an island just off shore, and not far from the city of Santander. Handy if you've come over on the car ferry from Portsmouth or Plymouth, it's a 6km drive from the city (there are buses too). Nearby are the natural park of Cabarceno, pretty Santillana del Mar, horse-riding centres and more beaches. The site has an outdoor pool, a supermarket and lots of grassy plots surrounded by trees.• Open 1 February-10 December; adults €5 per night, plus tent €5; +34 9 4234 2425, campingvirgenmar.com

Camping Internazionale Firenze, Florence, Italy

Finding a hotel in Florence can be tricky in summer. For some respite from the busy city, you could try this campsite 3km out of town (on the No 37 bus) in the Florentine hills, near the monastery at Certosa. The site has views of the city, and from here you can take day trips to the Chianti vineyards, Siena, Volterra and San Gimignano. The woodland site has a bar, pizzeria, supermarket and hot showers. • Open March-October; pitch plus tent from €11 per night, plus €10pp, children €4; +39 05 5237 4704, florencecamping.com

Camp Džbán, Prague, Czech Republic

This green campsite, less than 30 minutes from the city centre, the airport and the train station, is a handy and cheap spot to pitch up when visiting Prague. Surrounded by fields in the Divoká Šárka natural park, it has a kitchen, a restaurant, a shop, showers and Wi-Fi. The site can help arrange bike tours, bike and inline skate rental, and transport cards for the city. • Open June-September; from €5 a night for adults, €2 children, bungalows €48 (sleeping four); +42 02 3535 8554, campdzban.eu

Tent Station, Berlin, Germany

This is the only campsite in the heart of Berlin, where city-breakers can take advantage of cheap accommodation and a community vibe. It's set in the grounds of a disused outdoor swimming pool; the original diving towers still stand, and the empty pools are now used for football or volleyball. Barbecues for hire, table tennis tables and a bar where films are shown on a big screen on summer nights add to the fun. There are 125 pitches, plus two retro caravans and a revamped poolhouse with rooms.• Adults from €11 per night, teens €8, children €5, €10-€20 a night for special accommodation. +49 30 3940 4650, tentstation.de